Dave Weigel notes the perplexing term originated in a Republican House bill last year that was intended to limit federal funds for abortion procedures. Abortions of pregnancies resulting from "forcible rape" would still get federal funding, but abortions of pregnancies from statutory rape, for example, would not.

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When the legislation came up for a vote in May of 2011, all of New York's Republicans voted in favor of the bill. (No Republicans, from any state, voted against the bill, though five abstained from voting.)